Ageless Forever Anti-Aging News Blog

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

When you see the term “testosterone,” we typically associate it with masculinity and men. However, women generate testosterone too. So, what exactly is testosterone? Testosterone is a steroid hormone that plays a significant role in the male sperm production and produced in women’s ovaries in much smaller amounts. Rising levels of testosterone stimulates physical and chemical changes for boys and men such as increased muscle, pubic hair growth, deeper lengthened vocal chords, and increased sexual desire.

Testosterone production significantly spikes during puberty and starts to drop after age 30. Having optimal levels of the steroid hormone is essential from puberty throughout adulthood for general health, aids in preventing certain chronic diseases, and increases energy levels. As our levels of testosterone naturally decrease over time, rest assured there are ways to naturally boost it back up. Read more

Low T in Men and Women

Since women already produce very little testosterone, their levels drop even lower after reaching menopause, typically around the age of 45-50 when women’s menstrual cycles cease. Low levels of testosterone in women are commonly linked to the cause of headaches, anxiety, and decreased sexual drive. Men’s testosterone gradually decreases over time, usually after reaching their mid-thirties. Signs of low testosterone in men include depression, bone loss, fatigue, and erectile dysfunction. In addition to blood testing, you can take a Low T questionnaire to determine if your testosterone levels may be insufficient.

Ways to Boost Testosterone

Increasing T levels in your body can help increase muscle mass, improve health and sexual well-being for both men and women. Here are some ways to naturally boost your hormone levels to ensure optimal health.

1. Exercise

One of the most effective ways of boosting testosterone is physical activity. Studies have shown that people who exercise frequently have higher testosterone levels than people that exercise little to none at all. Resistance training, such as weight-lifting and high-intensity exercise are known to be the most testosterone-inducing forms of physical activity for short-term and long term benefits.

2. Consume Protein, Fats & Carbs

Your diet also has a major impact on your testosterone level. You can monitor your hormone levels by focusing on your long-term caloric intake and diet. Poor dieting or overeating may cause your testosterone levels to fluctuate. Maintaining a balanced diet including enough protein, carbs, and fats can assist in healthy hormone levels as well as help with fat loss. Plenty of protein helps build muscle mass, carbohydrates help supply energy for resistance training, and healthy fats help maximize testosterone production

3. Get more sunlight

You won’t find a better natural testosterone booster than the vitamin d from sunlight. The European Journal of Endocrinology conducted a study and found direct correlation that men deficient in vitamin d also had insufficient testosterone levels. Worried about getting too much sun? Once your body produces enough vitamin d from the sun, the ultraviolet rays will stop your body from overproducing. It is important to always wear sufficient sunscreen to help protect from sunburn and other harmful effects from overexposure of the sun’s rays. About 10-20 minutes of sun a day during spring and summer seasons and 2 hours a day in winter is recommended to give you the adequate vitamin to increase testosterone and reap other benefits.

4. Take supplements

The benefits of taking multivitamins are still up for debate, but taking specific vitamins and minerals may prove to be very helpful. Zinc, a mineral found in cells throughout the body supports the functionality of the body’s immune system, stimulates cell growth, injury healing, and helps break down carbohydrates. Taking zinc supplements have been known to raise testosterone. Other studies also suggest taking vitamin a, c, d, and e supplements to increase hormone production and sex drive, with zinc and vitamin d being the most beneficial.

5. Get enough rest

Getting high quality sleep also affects your testosterone. A long-term study found people who are sleep-deprived (typically sleeping for only 5 hours or less a night) also linked to a 15% decrease in testosterone levels. Normal testosterone production requires undisturbed, restful sleep also known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep disturbance can increase more stress over time, which can also cause low T. Although some people argue they are able to function on less sleep, research suggests about 7-10 hours of sleep a night is ideal for testosterone and long-term health.

Healthy testosterone levels are fundamental for both men and women to manage a healthier lifestyle. Not only does optimal testosterone levels help with sexual function, it promotes muscle growth, cognitive function and decreases chances of health risks and obesity. As we grow older and our hormone levels begin to decrease, it is wise to take charge in finding the best natural ways to boost it back up to continue to enjoy a healthy life. At Ageless Forever, we specialize in Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in order to examine and monitor T levels as well as other important hormones for both men and women to help slow and reverse the effects of aging. We believe in providing you the most accurate and up-to-date information and tools required to live a life full of vigor, health, and happiness.

Alleged concerns regarding risk of cardiovascular disease with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) have been promulgated recently. However, a large and growing number of intervention studies show to the contrary that TRT reduces cardiovascular risk factors and confers multiple beneficial health effects. Thus, fears promoted by some recent flawed studies need to be critically re-evaluated.

This article gives an overview of studies that have investigated health effects and safety of TRT.[1] As outlined here, the position that testosterone deficiency (TD) should be regarded as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is supported by a rapidly expanding body of evidence.[2-4]

Testosterone deficiency, popularly known as "low T", has entered the center stage in both the lay and medical communities. However, how is testosterone deficiency (a.k.a. hypogonadism) diagnosed? What is the testosterone level threshold below which you can say you have low T? What are the references ranges for healthy men?

Here you will find out what the medical guidelines say, what critical information they are ignoring, what you should point out to your doctor if he/she doesn't think you have low T...

A long-held belief is that testosterone stimulates development of prostate cancer and/or accelerates its growth. This fear is the most common reason for doctors' reluctance to prescribe testosterone replacement therapy, even in hypogonadal men [1, 2] , which unnecessarily deprives many hypogonadal men of clinical benefits.

This summary gives an overview of an in-depth review of current literature regarding the relationship of testosterone levels and prostate cancer, and the effect of testosterone replacement therapy on prostate cancer progression and recurrence.[3] Key studies which have refuted the old belief that testosterone has harmful effects on the prostate are presented, along the new testosterone-prostate paradigm known as the saturation model.

Surprisingly, new research provocatively suggests that it is not high testosterone levels that are problematic for prostate cancer, but to the contrary that it is low serum T that is associated with worrisome cancer features and outcomes...and new experimental research has uncovered mechanisms that explain how low testosterone levels may be detrimental for prostate health, and support the new view that testosterone therapy actually may have beneficial effects with regard to prostate cancer...

Recently several flawed studies, implicating that testosterone replacement therapy increases risk for heart attack and death, created large media headlines. This despite a large body of research evidence showing the contrary, ie. that testosterone replacement therapy decreases risk for heart disease and that higher testosterone levels are associated with reduced death rates. No wonder there is confusion and unnecessary concern and among healthcare providers and their patients.

In response to this, The Androgen Study Group was formed. The Androgen Study Group is a multidisciplinary group of androgen researchers and clinicians who are dedicated to education and accurate reporting on the science of testosterone deficiency in men and its treatment. With the media attention that testosterone therapy is attracting it is critical that clinical trials are properly conducted and analyzed, and that results are presented in a way that is not misleading. The mission of the Androgen Study Group is to ensure that the results of research on testosterone deficiency and its treatment is presented accurately and fairly in the medical literature as well as in public media.

March 6th 2014 FDA approved Aveed for treatment of male hypogonadism, aka testosterone deficiency.[1] Aveed is a long-acting form of injectable testosterone called testosterone undecanoate. In Europe, testosterone undecanoate (under the name Nebido) has a long successful TRT track record for treatment of testosterone deficiency and its consequences (especially obesity, the metabolic syndrome and diabetes).[2-16]

In contrast to shorter acting forms of testosterone (e.g. cypionate), testosterone undecanoate only needs to be injected every 6 to 12 weeks, and thereby offers practical benefits to patients. (Comment: for Nebido (1000 mg per 4 ml) the initial interval is 6 weeks, followed by intervals of 10-14 weeks; for Aveed (750 mg per 3 ml) the initial interval is 4 weeks, followed by 10-week intervals).

Five days after the FDA approval a notable and impressive 6-year long TRT study was published, confirming the health benefits of TRT that have previously been found in shorter term studies... [44]

A 2011 meta-analysis concluded that testosterone replacement therapy improves metabolic control, as well as reduces abdominal obesity.[9] Many studies have shown that testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men increases muscle mass and reduces fat mass.[19, 26-32] Further, adding testosterone (50 mg/day for 1 year, administered as a transdermal gel) to a diet and exercise program results in greater therapeutic improvements of glycemic control and reverses the metabolic syndrome.[20]

Testosterone also has direct (non-obesity mediated) beneficial effects on many metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors [12, 33-37], and reduces death risk independently of body fat status.[38] In line with all these effects, low testosterone levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular complications [39], and all-cause and cardiovascular disease death [40-42]. Low testosterone may thus be a predictive marker for men at high risk of cardiovascular disease.[41] In a group of men aged 50-91 who were followed for 20 years, it was found that men whose total testosterone levels were in the lowest quartile (241 ng/dl or lower) were 40% more likely to die than those with higher levels, independent of age, adiposity, lifestyle or presence of cardiovascular risk factors.[38]

Thus, treatment of testosterone deficient men with testosterone has demonstrated considerable health benefits. Despite this, critics state that most of the studies on testosterone replacement therapy were too small. They also argue that the studies were of too short duration (most of them lasting 6-12 months), and that the long-term effects of testosterone on body composition are not known.

Two 5 year long studies were just published that addressed the duration and small study size shortcomings in previous research...

A few days ago, Jan 29th 2014, a controversial study [1] was published showing that men aged 65 years and older, had a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the 90 days after filling an initial TT

prescription, regardless of cardiovascular disease history. Among younger men below 65 years of age with a history of heart disease, the study reported two to three-fold increased risk of MI in the 90 days following an initial TT prescription.

This study has stirred up heated discussions and media headlines. Let's dissect it and look under the hood...

"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." - Voltaire

For reasons that are not readily apparent, there appears to be a conservative political movement that opposes the use of testosterone in older men. This was clearly demonstrated by the report of the Institute of Medicine, which felt that testosterone is not yet ready for prime time and that there is still a need for studies to prove its efficacy [1]. Along the same lines, the guidelines of the Endocrine Society on testosterone use in older men seem to be ultra-cautious [2]. But fortunately, there are also other, more liberal guidelines and recommendations [3-5].

Probably no other medical issue has been bombarded by the influx of “expert” views from all walks of life; from endocrinologists and psychiatrists to urological surgeons and gerontologists, from the lay press to the regulatory agencies and from the pharmaceutical to the entertainment industries. The dismal result of all this free-for all cacophony of opinions is a great deal of confusion, erroneous information and significant detriment to patients and physicians alike.

Let's take an in-depth look at the reasons for the negative attitudes to male testosterone replacement therapy (I will cover post-menopausal testosterone replacement in an upcoming article), and the hard scientific data that refutes it...